Summary

The Australian Postal & Telecommunications Union had its origins in the Australian Letter Carriers' Association which was registered federally in 1912. In 1924 it changed its name to the Commonwealth Public Service Fourth Division Employees' Union of Australia only to amalgamate a year later with the Postal Sorters' Union of Australia to form the Amalgamated Postal Linesmen Sorters' & Letter Carriers' Union of Australia. From 1926 it was known as the Amalgamated Postal Workers' Union [APWU], covering postmen, sorters and linesmen. The APWU survived until 1974 when it changed its' name to the Australian Postal & Telecommunications Union. From 1990 the union amalgamated with the Australian Postmasters' Association and later the Postal Supervisory Officers' Association to eventually be known as the Communication Workers' Union. By 1994 this union had merged with the Electrical Electronic Plumbing & Allied Workers Union of Australia to become the Communications Electrical Electronic Energy Information Postal Plumbing & Allied Services Union of Australia.